Brian Harrington Announces Run for City Council Ward 1

Laramie resident Brian Harrington announced that he is running for election to Laramie City Council Ward 1, saying he hopes to invest in a community that welcomed him with open arms.

Harrington, a long-time Laramie resident and small business-owner, said he moved to Laramie in 2010 because he was drawn by the outdoor recreation available in Laramie. As time went by, Harrington said he realized he wanted to give back to the community that gave him so much.

“As time has gone by I really realized the importance of community and the unique community Laramie has and the priority that Laramie has placed on that community,” Harrington said. “The more invested I have become in the community through volunteering for Main Street, helping with the Mural Project, those sort of things, the more I really felt the need to give back. This, for me is a great opportunity to give back.”

As a City Councilor, Harrington said he would love to steward growth in Laramie that benefits and includes all Laramie residents, saying that the community-centered way of life that many people in Laramie love is increasingly at risk of disappearing.

Harrington also said he would like to see the art scene and the arts economy, which is very prevalent in Laramie, take off.

“Continuing the growth in that sector in Laramie I really do feel like the arts economy is one of the main things that helps keep our downtown so vibrant and such a destination of the residents of Laramie,” Harrington said.

Harrington is originally from Greybull and received his college education in Photographic Communication at Northwest College in Powell. He moved to Laramie and started his business, BHP Imaging, a wedding and commercial photography studio. Harrington quickly got involved in many organizations in Laramie, such as the Laramie Mural Project and the Downtown Development Authorities’ Economic Vitality Board. He was named one of the Laramie Young Professionals “20 under 40” in 2017. He lives in Ward 1 with his wife Dani.

As a young person himself, Harrington said he feels it is very important for young people to be civically engaged in their communities, especially in Laramie, where the population skews younger.

“The general lack of young people represented in leadership roles, I think, is something we all need to be looking at and focusing on,” Harrington said. “Maybe not even politically, but across the board, young people have something to offer.”

Young people shouldn’t wait for the opportunity to be handed to them, Harrington said, but rather they should go for it.

“I would tell young people not to wait to try,” Harrington said. “Getting out there and trying is all we can do. I would encourage young people to just give it a shot if nothing else.”

Harrington said his campaign will begin in earnest soon, so Laramie residents can expect to see him out and about in the community at events and on their doorsteps soon.